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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23961214">Empirical</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/calico_fiction/pseuds/calico_fiction'>calico_fiction</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: The Original Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien Flora &amp; Fauna, Gen, Prompt Fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:55:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23961214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/calico_fiction/pseuds/calico_fiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Please stop petting the test subjects,” Bones intones drolly.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James T. Kirk &amp; Leonard "Bones" McCoy &amp; Spock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Empirical</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/sictransitgloriamundi/gifts">sictransitgloriamundi</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>dialogue prompt from tumblr</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Please stop petting the test subjects,” Bones intones drolly, his face pointedly as flat as his voice as he peruses his tricorder results.</p><p>“I do not pet,” Spock insists, without removing his hand from the soft fur. The little things look like chinchillas, but with bald and barbed tails in gem tones. They had followed the scientific landing party all throughout the away mission, the planet seemingly otherwise uninhabited, and so Jim had instructed that they bring some aboard if they could, so that they could see if the species might be sapient.</p><p>“No?” Bones says, one eyebrow arching up sharp as a knife. “Then what are you doing?” There is a long pause.</p><p>“I am merely attempting to communicate, Doctor,” Spock finally answers stiffly. Jim folds his lips under his teeth to stop from laughing at Spock’s obvious lie. “I believe that is the purpose of these experiments, is it not?”</p><p>“Mm,” Bones hums doubtfully, but unwillingly curious as well. It <em>is </em>their purpose to communicate, after all, and Jim knows Bones has always been fascinated by Vulcan telepathy. “Gettin’ anything?”</p><p>“Not as such,” Spock admits reluctantly.</p><p>Even still, he doesn’t stop rubbing his fingers back and forth between the creature’s ears.</p>
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